The government has failed to protect victims of October 8^th earth quake from the harsh winter and sliding. Due to the situation many increase in patients and deaths were reported and published in media. This suffering could be reduced if the Government bases its plans on the needs of the communities and takes measures to implement the same.

The rebuilding of houses delayed because of government red tapism and high reconstruction costs as a BBC report depicts. Similarly, compensation has still not been paid or does not meet the costs of the compulsory new quake-resistant design. Many of those who started rebuilding had to stop halfway because compensation was insufficient or has not yet arrived.

Due to the extreme weather conditions conversion of prefabricated shelters into permanent shelters is an immediate need of the communities living in high altitude areas of Bagh, Battgram, Muzaffarabad and Mansehra. To this end Action Aid ERP field teams provided materials to the most vulnerable families. In this regard, 200 families have converted their shelters during the reporting month; the communities are now using these improved shelters. Further more, in Battgram, 139 families that were living in tents were provided with materials for installation of pre-fabricated shelters.

To overcome the massive problem of household sanitation Action Aid ERP facilitates communities through providing them latrines. As such the Mansehra and Muzaffarabad field teams provided materials to 650 vulnerable families for latrine construction. Out of these 367 latrines were completed during the reporting month. At the same time the field office in Bagh were not able to distribute latrine materials due to heavy rain.

As part of the winter contingency plan, in areas like Battgram, the field team distributed tarpals to 376 vulnerable families in the last two months. To add to that Bagh field team distributed bedding and warm clothes to 70 vulnerable families.  Bagh team also supported UNICEF in distribution of winterized tents, bedding, tarpaulin sheets and warm cloths for children to 518 families.

The community centers were constructed as hubs and training centers for women. In this connection, kitchen gardening and vocational trainings were started in Mansehra and Muzaffarabad. Most of the women are of the view that these training will enable them to earn and save money for their living.

All health centers are operational in all four field areas. During the reporting month, over 10000 patients were treated in all health centers in all four field areas. The percentage of children was 34%, men 17% and women over 48%.

The 2005 earth quake destroyed or diverted water supply. In this regard, the work is under process in 4 water supply schemes in Mansehra and Battgram. However since it rained intermittently through out the month, the construction process was very slow in these areas. In addition to this, in Mansehra and Battgram, installation of 12 hand pumps and boring of 8 hand pumps were completed. In Battgram, Purani Hill water supply scheme was completed during the reporting month.

The destruction of schools was perhaps the greatest loss of the earthquake. Eighteen thousand pupils were killed in a matter of minutes in schools and more than 6,000 buildings collapsed on top of them. A year on, very few schools have been rebuilt. In this regard, in Mansehra, reconstruction of Khabal community school was under process; wooden structure and walls were completed last month. Moreover, improvement of 2 schools in Battgram and 4 schools in Muzaffarabad will be started next month.

The staff is regularly interacting with the communities in order to strengthen the community organizations.  The restructuring of community organizations are in process in Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Battgram, according to the strategy developed in the Social Mobilisation workshop.

Further more, the policy and gender focal person had meeting with SERRA and DRU in Muzaffarabad. The purpose of the meetings were to know,

• Reason of delay in compensation
• Master Plan of Muzaffarabad and strategy of reconstruction of schools.
  
  To add with, the field teams regularly attend meetings with communities to know their problems and share their ideas with each other. In Bagh and Muzaffarabad, a meeting with community members was held where EVRM units were formed after these meetings. Different activists were also approached to make the Women Day-event a success and to work closely with EVRM on policy issues jointly.
   
  
  Emerging Issues
• One year after the earthquake people are still living in tents as many didn’t get compensation to rebuild their homes.
• The landless and tenants face immense problems regarding the reconstruction of their houses and they are the most ignored ones. Harsh winter season on the one hand and a lack of basic amenities on the other, the situation would become very hazardous for them.
• Costs of transporting material to high altitude areas are very high. As such the communities are unable to reconstruct their homes which are leading to desperation and bitterness in the communities.
• Even after one year of the earthquake unavailability of both skilled and unskilled labors causes delay in the reconstruction process. The rise in the rates of skilled and unskilled labor has also aggravated the situation of the poor communities.
• The unavailability of medical staff created problems in remote and far flung areas especially in winter and there was upsurge in diseases too.
• The earth quake areas are prone to land sliding which can have severe consequences for the people living in these areas. In the past month 13 people were killed and several more injured due to this calamity.